If you're like me, you grew up without cable. That meant your first doses of MTV and other cable fare were usually obtained via visits to friends' homes. With that in mind, was there a local channel that broadcast music videos as part of its regular programming? I grew up in northeast Ohio, where WKC-TV/23 in Akron had an afternoon music video show weekdays from 4-6. Local radio DJ Billy Soul and other personalities hosted, and you could call in with requests.  My first look at an REM vid was through this program.    8)

If you're like me, you grew up without cable. That meant your first doses of MTV and other cable fare were usually obtained via visits to friends' homes. With that in mind, was there a local channel that broadcast music videos as part of its regular programming? I grew up in northeast Ohio, where WKC-TV/23 in Akron had an afternoon music video show weekdays from 4-6. Local radio DJ Billy Soul and other personalities hosted, and you could call in with requests.  My first look at an REM vid was through this program.    8)


It's funny how new cable is.  I never really knew it wasn't any older than computers until recently.  3 channels would sound barbaric, but considering there's like 1000 channels today and only 1 good thing on at any moment it doesn't sound that bad.

It's funny how new cable is.  I never really knew it wasn't any older than computers until recently.  3 channels would sound barbaric, but considering there's like 1000 channels today and only 1 good thing on at any moment it doesn't sound that bad.


Actually, the concept of cable television wasn't a new idea...even in the 80s. Check this out:

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcabletelevision.htm

Regarding the lack of quality programming: what was it Bruce Springsteen said? "35 channels and nothing's on?" Some things never change.  :)

If you're like me, you grew up without cable. That meant your first doses of MTV and other cable fare were usually obtained via visits to friends' homes. With that in mind, was there a local channel that broadcast music videos as part of its regular programming? I grew up in northeast Ohio, where WKC-TV/23 in Akron had an afternoon music video show weekdays from 4-6. Local radio DJ Billy Soul and other personalities hosted, and you could call in with requests.  My first look at an REM vid was through this program.    8)


I too grew up without cable - we only got a 'high tech' satellite dish in around '86 or so - LOL.  I can remember relying heavily on local TV to get my video fix.  There was a show that came on every weekday afternoon - I can't remember what it was called, but Cousin Brucie was the host (how cheesy was that?)  I can remember planning my entire day after school around that show just so I could catch a glimpse of the latest Duran Duran video.  I can remember them playing very obscure artists too - Lena Lovich comes to mind - the video for "Lucky Number".  I also used to watch Friday Night Videos.  I think it was an NBC show?  Came on around 11:30 p.m.-midnight and lasted until about 2 a.m.

Meanwhile, two miles down the road from my house, cable was available and I tried to make friends from that direction so I could go to their houses and watch MTV!  ;D

Here in Canada, we had CBC Video Hits, an hour long show that aired at like 4:00 in the afternoon, so's that when kids got home from school, they could get their daily music video fix.  It was such a popular show, it spawned books and album compilations ...

http://www.musicbymailcanada.com/PlatinumBlonde/kaminvh.JPG http://www.geocities.com/godeltsihw/thevideohitsalbum.JPG

Regular UHF stations aired them...

though now UHF stations are a thing of the past, last seen in the mid 1990's before WB & UPN came along

Regarding the lack of quality programming: what was it Bruce Springsteen said? "35 channels and nothing's on?" Some things never change.  :)


I think from memory it was "57 Channels and nothing on".

I have never bothered to sign up for Aussie cable tv. I dont know how many stations we have - around 30 or so I think - but I have seen the tv guide and its all cr*p.
If they changed the way packages were bought - ie if you could just buy the actual stations you want - and not have all the rest - I would think about it.

As for music videos - we didnt need cable to see them here. They were played regularly on commercial free and commercial stations from the late 60s onwards.

You're right on the Boss, BMG :)

And even when MTV started in Oz, it was just a weekend late-night clip show on a free-to-air channel.

Regular UHF stations aired them...

though now UHF stations are a thing of the past, last seen in the mid 1990's before WB & UPN came along


My guess is that many of the UHF stations of that day were still independents (i.e. no network affiliation). With the coming of Fox, WB and UPN, that pretty much spelled the end of the independents. The aforementioned WAKC in Akron, however, was an ABC affiliate, IIRC. They were still airing music videos as late as 1994, though the programs had been moved to late nights.

Thanks for the correction on the Boss, BMG. Sometimes I'm just too lazy to track down my liner notes.  :)

As for "antique" music videos from the 60s and 70s...those promo clips are always a hoot to see now and then. They don't have nearly the production values of the post-MTV era (see David Bowie's vid for "Heroes"--false start!), but they're fun anyway. From what I understand, they were produced to occasionally take the place of a live performance on music shows like American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show. Somewhere I read Elvis Costello describing his early videos as looking "appealingly like Charlie Chaplin films."